Thousands gather to say farewell to golf legend Arnold Palmer including Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler- who arrived carrying the Ryder Cup

  • Memorial held for Arnold Palmer in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on Tuesday
  • Palmer died September 25 at age 87 and his funeral was last week
  • Family wanted a public service held after the Ryder Cup, which the Americans won Monday
  • Rickie Fowler arrived at the service carrying the trophy 
  • Jack Nicklaus gave a teary eulogy remembering his friend 

The biggest names from all corners of the golf world have gathered to celebrate the life of Arnold Palmer in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on Tuesday.

Palmer died Sept. 25 at age 87. 

His private funeral for family members was Thursday. 

Palmer's family wanted a public service to be held after the Ryder Cup, which the Americans won on Monday.

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Golfer Jack Nicklaus arrived looking distraught for the memorial service for golfer Arnold Palmer in the Basilica at St. Vincent's College in Latrobe on Tuesday

Golfer Jack Nicklaus arrived looking distraught for the memorial service for golfer Arnold Palmer in the Basilica at St. Vincent's College in Latrobe on Tuesday

A set of golf clubs and a photo of golfer Palmer were on display in the Basilica at St. Vincent's College in Latrobe

A set of golf clubs and a photo of golfer Palmer were on display in the Basilica at St. Vincent's College in Latrobe

Rickie Fowler arrived carrying the Ryder Cup Trophy to the service

Rickie Fowler arrived carrying the Ryder Cup Trophy to the service

Choked up: 'I hurt like you hurt,' Nicklaus said with a tear. 'You don't lose a friend of 60 years and don't feel an enormous loss'

Choked up: 'I hurt like you hurt,' Nicklaus said with a tear. 'You don't lose a friend of 60 years and don't feel an enormous loss'

 With a large tear forming in his left eye, Jack Nicklaus asked everyone from the elite to the everyman to remember the time Arnold Palmer touched their lives during the emotional farewell to the King.

'I hurt like you hurt,' Nicklaus said. 'You don't lose a friend of 60 years and don't feel an enormous loss.'

The service at Saint Vincent College in Palmer's hometown was filled with just as much laughter and warmth from stories of the most significant player in the modern game. The basilica at the college was packed with golf's biggest names from around the world.

Charlie Mechem, the former LPGA commissioner who became one of Palmer's most trusted advisers, referred to them as the 'elite battalion' of Arnie's Army.

Palmer died in Pittsburgh as he was preparing for heart surgery.

'We were looking down at the air strip and the fog just suddenly lifted,' Ernie Els said Tuesday after landing in one of several private jets that descended on Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. 'This is a beautiful day. We've all met different people in life. He was a man who didn't change. It didn't matter if you cut the grass or you were a president. He was the same with everybody.'

Palmer's co-pilot, Pete Luster, flew his plane around Saint Vincent College for nearly an hour before the service, tipping the left wing as he zoomed by.

A Coast Guard honor guard walks through the Basilica at St. Vincent's College during the memorial service 

A Coast Guard honor guard walks through the Basilica at St. Vincent's College during the memorial service 

Country artist Vince Gill also sang during the memorial service

Country artist Vince Gill also sang during the memorial service

Mechem set a happy tone by pointing to a large photograph of Palmer with a grin that made everyone feel so important. He asked the crowd to remember the Palmer who hitched up his pants and gave a thumbs-up.

'There's an old saying that there are no irreplaceable people,' Mechem said, his voice cracking toward the end of the ceremony. 'Whoever made that line didn't know Arnold Palmer. There will never be another.'

Palmer won 62 times on the PGA Tour, including seven major championships.

The service was another reminder that Palmer was not the greatest golfer who ever lived, or even the best from his generation. He just had the greatest influence through television, through marketing and mostly through eye contact.

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem tried to explain Palmer's popularity by mentioning his attacking style of golf, his appeal on television and the way he carried himself.

 'He had this other thing,' Finchem said. 'It was the incredible ability to make you feel good — not just about him, but about yourself. I was amazed by how people reacted to him. He took energy from that and turned right around and gave it back.'

Phil Mickelson and most of the U.S. team were at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, along with leaders from the PGA Tour and European Tour and other tours around the world.

Rickie Fowler carried in the Ryder Cup to the service. 

Also in attendance were Bubba Watson and Lee Trevino. 

Among those scheduled to speak were Jack Nicklaus and Palmer's grandson, Sam Saunders.

Golfers Ernie Els, center left, and Peter Jacobsen, center right, shake hands as they arrive 

Golfers Ernie Els, center left, and Peter Jacobsen, center right, shake hands as they arrive 

Golfers Bubba Watson, right, was up the stairs just before Fowler

Golfers Bubba Watson, right, was up the stairs just before Fowler

Phil Mickelson and most of the U.S. team were at Saint Vincent College, along with leaders from the PGA Tour and European Tour and other tours around the world

Phil Mickelson and most of the U.S. team were at Saint Vincent College, along with leaders from the PGA Tour and European Tour and other tours around the world

Golfer Lee Trevino, center, got a hug as he arrived

Golfer Lee Trevino, center, got a hug as he arrived

An executive jet owned by Palmer did a fly by. Palmer's co-pilot, Pete Luster, flew his plane around Saint Vincent College for nearly an hour before the service, tipping the left wing as he zoomed by

An executive jet owned by Palmer did a fly by. Palmer's co-pilot, Pete Luster, flew his plane around Saint Vincent College for nearly an hour before the service, tipping the left wing as he zoomed by

The Ryder Cup sat in the back of the Basilica at St. Vincent's College during a memorial service. The service was intentionally scheduled after the Ryder Cup was over

The Ryder Cup sat in the back of the Basilica at St. Vincent's College during a memorial service. The service was intentionally scheduled after the Ryder Cup was over

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